Tinubu inherited 2604 road projects — Umahi

The Minister of Works, Senator Dave Umahi, has disclosed that no fewer than 2604 road projects were inherited by the President Bola Tinubu administration.

According to Umahi, who revealed that the road projects, which were in the tune of trillions of naira, fumed at contractors abandoning projects, stated that the federal government will not hesitate to revoke such contracts.

While stating in Akure, Ondo State capital, during the Federal Ministry of Works town hall meeting/stakeholders’ engagement on the alignment of the Ondo State 63km segment of the Lagos-Calabar coastal highway, the Minister stressed that when completed, the road, which will pass through seven states, would open up new businesses.

Umahi, who vowed to take responsibility for failed road projects in the country, stated that the federal government is owing contractors who had completed projects the sum of N1.6 trillion.

The Minister, who empahasied that Tinubu is a gift to Nigeria due to what he described as the legacy projects he commenced that would outlive the current administration, stated that the Federal Government and the state government were committed to restoring the Ayetoro community that is currently battling sea incursions.

He said: “One of the things we saw when we came on board was that Tinubu inherited 2604 projects totally as of May 29, 2023—N13 trillion. And contractors were being owed N1.6 trillion for jobs done.

“So, the President, a man of courage, still has to manifest all the projects inherited to fix them. Some of these projects are 20 years, 5 years, 13 years, and 17 years. He believes that this project should be fixed in 14 months; it has to be fixed, and if it is not fixed, I will take responsibility.

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“You are giving a contract; you are waiting for mobilisation. The procurement act says you can’t maintain a mobilisation fee. It did not say shall pay but must pay. It is within the convenience of the client, and when they are paid, the contractor is expected to pay evidence of financial capability.

“We are committed to turning our stone into bread. There is no complaint. We are not distracted. I take responsibility for every failure, any road that is bad, any road that is ongoing and not being constructed. But be assured that we are not sleeping.

“Ondo state is an oil-producing state, which is a key state to the economy of our nation. The commitment of Mr. President in this legacy project is not just constructing roads; it is an investment. This legacy project is an investment.”

On his part, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, who hailed Tinubu for the legacy projects cited in the state, stressed that the project was not a political one.

“He (Tinubu) is supporting us economically. I want to thank you for all the other projects in the country. This project will be of huge benefit to us; that is why we are going to corporate with the federal government and the contractors.”